The chief ministers of Lumbini and Gandaki provinces, who are directly concerned with the Kaligandaki river, have commented on the diversion in different ways. Gandaki Chief Minister Surendraraj Pandey said that diversion could happen under certain conditions, but Lumbini Chief Minister Chetanath Acharya did not speak openly about diversion.

Chief Minister Pandey and Acharya reached Kaligandaki river bank Uttarwahini on Monday for inter-province coordination meeting. Chief Minister Acharya did not want to talk about the diversion of Kaligand. He said, 'Kaligandaki river is common, other provinces can also use it. Especially the residents in the coastal areas around the Gandaki river will be watered so as not to cause shock.'  Similarly, the Chief Minister of Gandaki Pandey has said that the Gandaki state government cannot cooperate in carrying out this plan without guaranteeing that the religious beliefs of the residents of this area will not be harmed. 

'Since the union government has advanced the plan without any coordination with the state government, coordination should be done when making any plan about this river,' Chief Minister Pandey said, 'even if diversion is to be done, the situation of water flow, the benefits of the two states, as well as the effect on the residents of the lower coastal areas as well as the animals should also be discussed.' He said that the diversion of Kaligand will not proceed easily because of the confusion. 

Finance Minister of the federal government Bishnu Prasad Paudel's agenda was not on the agenda of the inter-provincial meeting of the Chief Ministers of Lumbini and Gandaki regarding the diversion of Kaligandaki as an ambitious plan. The issue of diversion of Kaligand was not found in the meeting held in tourist area Ranimahal and religious place Uttarwahini area. Lumbini Chief Minister Acharya did not want to talk to the media on this issue, while Gandaki Chief Minister emphasized that there should be a solid plan to increase the water flow, the benefits of both provinces and not to harm the residents of the coastal area. 

To save the Gandaki civilization, Palpa, Syangja, Tanahun and  People's representatives of East Nawalparasi have been protesting. People's representatives of 10 local levels of this region, civil society, local intellectuals have said that if the government advances projects like Kaligandaki Diversion Project, Kaligandaki Reservoir Hydropower Project, Upper Kaligandaki Project, water crisis will occur in the lower coastal area and the heritage area will be destroyed.

Memorandum of Kaligandaki Conservation Campaign

On behalf of Kaligandaki Conservation Campaign, former MP Shankar Prasad Pandey submitted a memorandum to Lumbini Chief Minister Acharya and Gandaki Chief Minister Pandey. Pandey also reminded both the Chief Ministers that they will work day and night to prevent the diversion of the Kaligand river. He stressed that not only the residents of the lower coastal areas should be given attention to issues such as animals and water resources.

Pandey also requested both Chief Ministers to stop the Kaligandaki-Tinau diversion, protect the religious and cultural civilization of Gandaki and develop the biological, agricultural, tourism and environmental aspects of the Gandaki coastal area. He said, 'Kaligand's Tinau diversion plan is sure to cause serious damage to the ecology, religious places and people's lives of the coastal area. Only in the lower coastal area of ​​Gandaki there are still about 2 lakh hectares of uncultivated land. Janu will be more vulnerable after diversion.' 

18 years ago a pre-feasibility study 

The first discussion of diversion in the Kaligandaki river was during the election of the Constituent Assembly. In the election, the current finance minister Paudel and Congress leader Balkrishna Khan made Kaligandaki-Tinau diversion in Rupandehi as an election slogan in their manifesto. Paudel, who became the Minister of Water Resources in the government led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal in the year 2065, immediately took forward the process of diversion. After this, in the year 2067, Poudel became the Defense Minister in the government led by Jhalnath Khanal. A pre-feasibility study report of diversion was prepared in June 2068.

In that report, it is mentioned that the main tunnel will be located in Rambha Rural Municipality-3 of Palpa, Nikichour of Pipaldanda, and 70 villages of Rupandehi and 40 villages of Kapilvastu will be benefited by bringing water through the tunnel. According to the pre-feasibility study report, the project will generate 104 megawatts of electricity and provide irrigation facilities to 63,000 hectares of land. It is estimated that a total cost of 18 billion 48 million, 18 million 22 thousand for irrigation and 21 billion, 62 million, 3 million for hydropower project will be required. Since 2070/71, the plan of Kaligandaki-Tinau diversion has been included in the government's policy and program and budget.